1. Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to safety devices, in general, and in particular, to car catcher devices which are mounted to the rear of an elevated vehicle such as a truck. During a rear-end collision between an automobile, or the like, and a truck, such car catchers prevent the automobile from passing under an elevated chassis, flatbed or other structure which protrudes rearwardly beyond the rear wheels of the truck. Consequently, these devices reduce the likelihood of direct impact between the passenger compartment of the automobile and the rearwardly-protruding truck structure and thereby reduce the likelihood of severe or even fatal injuries to the automobile passengers.
2. Description of the Prior Art: Car catcher devices designated for the aforementioned purposes are known in the art. These devices are generally formed as a frame-like structure which is mounted, sometimes removably, to the rearwardly-protruding truck structure so as to downwardly depend therefrom. A portion of the frame-like structure is positioned at an elevation to receive impact from the front end of an automobile during a rear-end collision between the automobile and the truck.
Such devices are useful when mounted to stationary truck structure which is maintained in a generally horizontal and elevated position. However, they become a nuisance when mounted to rearwardly-protruding truck structure which is capable of, and intended to be, periodically downwardly lowered to a position at or near ground level, such as, for example, the pivotable roll-off hoist structure disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,349, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. If used on such pivotable hoist structure, a permanently mounted car catcher would be an extreme hindrance since it would severely limit the downward pivotability of the protruding hoist structure.
As an alternative, detachable car catchers could be mounted to such downwardly pivotable structures. However, a removable car catcher must first be detached before the protruding structure is pivoted downwardly and then must be reattached when the protruding structure is pivoted upwardly into its normal roadway transport position. For obvious reasons, such detachment and reattachment of the car catcher becomes a bothersome if not laborious task each time the pivotable structure is to be placed into service.
An advantage exists, therefore, for a car catcher device which is easily positionable between an operative position and an inoperative position. Such a device would be of particular use with rearwardly-protruding truck structure which is intended to be periodically lowered to a position at or near ground level, such as, for example, the pivotable roll-off hoist structure disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,349. Such a car catcher would also have utility when mounted to stationary rearwardly-protruding truck structure in that in a retracted inoperative position, the car catcher would permit ready access to the rear wheels, axles,suspension, etc., for purposes of maintenance thereof.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a car catcher apparatus which is mounted to structure which protrudes rearwardly beyond the rear wheels of an elevated vehicle such as a truck and which is positionable between an operative position and on inoperative position.
It a further object of the invention to provide a car catcher apparatus that, when mounted to lowerable rearwardly-protruding truck structure, permits unrestricted downward lowering of the truck structure.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a car catcher apparatus that, in an inoperative position, permits ready access to the rear portions of a truck for maintenance thereof.
Still other objects and advantages will become apparent in light of the attached drawings and written description of the invention presented hereinbelow.